In the paving art, productivity is a function of the volume of mix that can be delivered to the project and the overall speed of the lay-down and compaction process. The compaction process is typically the most limiting operation at the jobsite, while mix throughput is ordinarily less of an issue with regard to jobsite productivity. Accordingly, the number of compactors required and time available for mat densification has the greatest influence on productivity. Safety and cost are very much an issue with today's methodology, which typically employs a large number of persons to conduct the paving operation due to the fact that each machine is individually operated/controlled.
The present invention is directed to a paving machine with one or more sensors adapted to monitor the density of a pavement as it is compacted by a screed and that adjusts the force exerted by the screed on the pavement as it is formed in order to achieve a desired pavement density.